New Mission Beach Memories

Monday, March 24, 2014

The day before we went on this mid-week getaway to Mission Beach, courtesy of Luv Surf Rentals, I had a disagreement with a family member.I hardly slept before we left for the funky little beach community where Scott and I met nine years ago, which was good because I was awake at five a.m. ready to pack the car and beat the sun to the Crystal Pier. We only had an hour to surf since Scott had to be at work at 8:30.

It was so quiet out in the ocean. My ears, familiar with the sound of crashing waves, listened instead to the sound of the pigeons’ wings as they flapped between the support beams underneath the pier.

Right when I paddled out, a set wave came to me. It’s nice when this happens because if you go, everyone in the lineup immediately knows you’re not messing around. If you don’t go, it won’t be forgotten for the rest of the session. Surfers base a lot of things on first impressions. I went, but I did not pull in to the barrel and haven’t really let myself forget it since.

Scott left for work at 8:20, happy his commute was an eighth as long as normal, and I gave a dollar to a homeless man that came by. His skin looked like he had been outside forever, so I assumed he must have been homeless for a while. The only tooth it looked like he had was one on the bottom and when he smiled I almost started crying; not really because I felt bad for him, but because something about the whole experience made me feel that way I sometimes feel when I know God or the spirit of a deceased relative is near.

The house wouldn’t be ready until 3 p.m. So, to keep myself busy, I went to the Ocean Beach Skatepark. I’m trying really hard not to break my arm before we go to Mexico, but I can’t stay away. I watched videos on Instagram for hours the night before to help me get to sleep and prepare myself for the park.When I got there, there was a guy and a girl sitting in the dirt near the bowl in the back. I tried dropping in on a little bump in the middle of the park that seemed close to the ground, but fell first try. The girl with funny white-rimmed glasses, who had been sitting in the shade, led me to a steeper, but less abrupt transition to try instead. I didn’t recognize her at all, but once she introduced herself, I was sure she was a friend of Dave’s. I invited her over to the house that night because we were having a small pizza party to celebrate Scott’s birthday. She told me she would write the address on her hand as soon as she found a pen and promised she’d try to drop by as long as she finished cleaning the roadkill that was in her car. Everyone Dave has introduced us to is a character, so I wasn’t the least bit surprised by her plans for the day. Although, I was curious what in the world she was going to do with the cleaned roadkill. I concluded she might sew it all together to make a blanket, but everyone else thought this suggestion was outrageous and instead decided she must use it for food. We can never be sure since she didn’t come by the house that night. Maybe she never found a pen.

Dropping in on my skateboard was every bit as terrifying and thrilling as I thought it would be. Even though I knew I looked like a kook doing it, nothing could wipe the happiness off my face. I do, however, wish I could wipe the softball sized purple bruise off my left thigh. I basically made myself promise not to cry while skateboarding, but this pledge is much harder to uphold than I expected.

Once the house was ready, we were welcomed in. There was beer in the fridge, wine bottles in the cupboard and three floors to stretch out in. Scott and I have never lived in a house with stairs, so having three flights of them was pretty exciting.

I was positive I was going to need a nap after the night before, but I couldn’t possibly leave this dream for some other ones. The house was everything we could have wanted for a getaway.

Scott and I sat on the deck drinking and talking, while our friends slowly began to trickle in to join us. We passed the camera around and let everyone take turns capturing their perspective on the party. Pizza was ordered, I wore the shirt and necklace the Luv Surf Shop gave me (they are the retail company associated with the beach house rental company and their stuff is really cute, comfy and well made!) and we all sang happy birthday as Scott blew out the candles on his pizza pie (yep, wax got on some of the pieces).

Watching the shadows change places in the grass in our backyard now, I am, of course, happy to be home. But a part of me will always miss that little house that held some of my dreams. And with a little bit of perspective and time away, solving the disagreement with my sister was much easier.

Information about traveling to Mission Beach, California

+The rental company we stayed with is called: Luv Surf (retail shop: Luv Surf retail). They were amazing and made us feel right at home. I want to use the word magical when I talk about our stay. Everything was already provided for us (beer, wine, water, towels for the beach, beach cruiser bikes for the boardwalk, olive oil and spices in the kitchen, plates, utensils etc.). The house was clean, comfortable, beachy and honestly, pretty perfect (and I try not to overuse that word). It was extremely hard to leave. If you’re planning to visit San Diego, definitely check out their rentals.

+Mission Beach is such a fun place to come vacation in California. There’s an amusement park, wave pool, miles and miles of sandy beaches (some with waves, some without), sailing, great night life, ice cream stands everywhere and a four mile long boardwalk for bike riding, skateboarding and excellent people watching. I highly recommend it (especially if you a.) like to party or b.) need a good family trip)!

What a great post, I used to live in Mission Beach and also LaJolla. Love them both so much, reading your post brought back such fond memories of Mission Beach and all the fun had there. The house you stayed in sounds awesome!

Wonderful photos Devon, they really encapsulate your California life I think. Glad you had such a nice trip. I know exactly what you mean about suddenly feeling like crying. I had a moment like that yesterday. Good that the skateboarding is going okay, except for the odd bruise. Hope you have a good week, CJ xx

This place looks amazing! It sounds like a great place to stay in a really cool place. I'm sorry for your bruise and your disagreement, but happy that you had such a nice time there. I like your idea of passing around the camera and seeing how others view the same event. I want to try that soon:)

Devon DeMint is a mother, writer and surfer living in a funky beach town in northern San Diego with her husband and two daughters. When she is not busy with the above, she can be found Googling 'what do your insides look like at 9 months pregnant?' and 'is quiche actually healthy?'. She loves sweet wine, making up words for body parts and sleeping outside. She has neat closets and messy kitchen floors. [Read more...]